Super-compressible piston shock absorber

Abstract

Piston-in-cylinder type shock absorbers are disclosed that are compressible to less than half of their extended length, thereby eliminating the current need for automotive suspensions to accommodate unwieldy shock absorbers that, even when fully compressed, must be longer than the amount of permitted axial suspension travel at the shock absorber's connection point. Since the disclosed shock absorbers are super-compressible, they are also super-extendable, which is extendable beyond double their compressed length. In some embodiments, this super-compressibility and super-extendibility are rendered possible by the use of a rigidly interleaved, oppositely-oriented, axially-balanced, free-floating bank of gas-charged cylinders.

1 . A super-compressible shock absorber having opposing axially-balanced cylinders. 
     
     
         2 . The super-compressible shock absorber of  claim 1  wherein the total piston surface area of pistons that travel in a first direction equals the total piston surface area of pistons that travel in a direction opposite to the first direction. 
     
     
         3 . A piston shock absorber compressible beyond half its extended length, and having a trio of cylinders in an oppositely-oriented, axially-balanced configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The piston shock absorber of  claim 3  wherein the total piston surface area of pistons that travel in a first direction equals the total piston surface area of pistons that travel in a direction opposite to the first direction. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus comprising:
 a super-compressible piston shock absorber, the super-compressible piston shock absorber comprising:
 a rigidly interleaved, oppositely-oriented, axially-balanced, free-floating bank of gas-charged cylinders, 
 wherein the super-compressible shock absorber is configured to be extendable by an amount that exceeds its compressed length. 
   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the total piston surface area of pistons that travel in a first direction equals the total piston surface area of pistons that travel in a direction opposite to the first direction.